{"id":4238,"date":"2020-02-09T09:42:09","date_gmt":"2020-02-09T08:42:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ma57.dk\/?p=4238"},"modified":"2022-08-16T09:42:53","modified_gmt":"2022-08-16T07:42:53","slug":"investegation-of-conditions-for-elite-athletes-in-the-danish-swimming-federation-personal-comments","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ma57.dk\/en\/investegation-of-conditions-for-elite-athletes-in-the-danish-swimming-federation-personal-comments\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cInvestegation of conditions for elite athletes in the Danish Swimming Federation\u201d \u2013 Personal comments"},"content":{"rendered":"

A few days ago, \u201cInvestegation of the conditions for elite athletes in the Danish Swimming Federation\u201d (February 6, 2020) prepared by the Chamber of Lawyers was published. The investegation was carried out on the basis of the documentary program of the Danish Broadcasting Company (DR) \u201cSwimming stars \u2013 Under the surface\u201d, which was sent in April 2019. The aim of the investegation is \u201c\u2026 according to the terms of reference, to elucidate the circumstances revealed in the documentary program, including the historical and actual conditions , and the culture of the elite sport enviroments under the Danish Swimming Federation. In this context, the Reference describes a number of themes to be answered in the investegation. One of the themes of the investegation is to uncover and explain the training environment and its consequences for elite swimmers during the period from 2001 and forwards. In addition, the investegation must identify whether the factors included in the investegation can be attributed to concrete managerial failures or systemic weaknesses. In this connection, Team Denmark and the Danish Swimming Federation\u2019s supervision of the conditions must also be covered. The investegation will also examine the organizational framework of the Danish Swimming Federation, including whether the framework actually gave and allows elite swimmers to stand out. Finally, the investegation will reveal whether Team Denmark and the Conferation of Danish Sport (DIF) have fullfil to their responsibilities in the period from 2001 and forwards \u201d.<\/p>\n

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\u201cManagerial failures\u201d and \u201csystemic weaknesses\u201d \u2013 but no legal liability assessment<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Chamber of Lawyers\u2019 investigation shows that \u201c\u2026 a number of critical factors can be found in connection with the management of the training environment for the elite swimmers during the period from 2003 to 2013. This is especially true of the Danish Swimming Federation, but also Team Denmark\u201d. It also appears that the Chambers of Lawyers \u201c\u2026 has not made any actual legal liability assessment with regard to organizations or individuals, be it employment law, financial or otherwise. When we refer to managerial failures here, we refer to the failures of the organizations as such \u201d. The investegatoin emphasizes that \u201c\u2026 Team Denmark, as a self-governing institution, is part of the Public Administration and the Public Law\u201d. This means that \u201c\u2026 Team Denmark is committed to ensuring that the organization\u2019s financial resources are used in accordance with the purposes for which they are given. In this context, Team Denmark is responsible for continuously checking whether the individual federations that receive support from Team Denmark are acting in accordance with the expectations for the organization of the Act on Elite sport\u201d. Thus, Team Denmark does not have a supervisory duty in the sense of State Law, but a duty to cooperate with partners \u2013 in the specific case of the Danish Swimming Federation \u2013 who do not comply with the \u201cAct on Elite sport\u201d, including the \u201cCode of Ethics for Danish Elite Sports\u201d and guidelines for weighing swimmers and medicine\u201d.<\/p>\n

Need for discussion about \u2013 and possibly revision of \u2013 Act on Elite sport<\/strong><\/p>\n

As CEO \u2013 and the top administrative officer in Team Denmark \u2013 during the period 1.9.2006 \u2013 17.12.2014, I have a co-responsibility that a number of critical situations were not changed satisfactorily. There are many reasons for the managerial failures \u2013 both before and during my tenure \u2013 which is also evident in the investegation of the Chambers of Lawyers. Likewise, there are also many causes and explanations for the \u201csystemic weaknesses\u201d that the investegation uncovered. However, it does not change the following personal comment: It is deeply regrettable \u2013 not least for the young swimmers who have experienced failures and where it has had serious consequences for them in life \u2013 that the dialogue, communication and cooperation between Team Denmark and the Danish Swimming Federation were deficient and malfunctioning during the above period. Unfortunately, I can also today find that \u2013 both in the Danish Swimming Federation and in Team Denmark \u2013 there have been employees who have had knowledge that they have not presented in the right time and the right place. It is also extremely regrettable. I hope that the sad and serious case about the conditions for the elite athletes in Danish Swimming will have regulatory consequences for benefit of the development of Danish elite sport.<\/p>\n

In addition, you can read about my previous views and opinions on the case here:<\/p>\n